1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electronic apparatus, and more particularly relates to docking station apparatus used to connect a portable computer to desktop computer peripheral devices such as a keyboard, monitor, printer and mouse.
2. Description of Related Art
In computer parlance a "docking station" is an interface device to which a portable computer, such as the increasingly popular notebook computer, may be operatively and removably coupled to connect its central processing unit and other internal circuitry to desktop computer peripheral devices such as a keyboard, monitor, printer and mouse. In this manner the portable computer may be used "on the road" by its owner, utilizing its own keyboard, monitor and mouse, and later used in a home or office desktop work station in conjunction with the larger desktop peripheral devices. Thus, a single computer can provide its user with both the compactness, light weight, portability and diminutive work space requirements of the notebook computer and the power and comfort of a desktop system with its larger work space and peripheral devices.
A conventionally configured docking station typically comprises a housing adapted to sit atop the desktop work space and containing the interface electronics used to connect the "docked" portable computer to the desktop peripheral devices operatively coupled to the docking station. The housing has a horizontal surface upon which the portable computer is rested, keyboard side up, before being horizontally moved rearwardly to removably couple a connector on the rear side of the computer to a corresponding docking connector on the docking station housing.
This horizontal orientation of the docking station is similar to that of the typical desktop computer in that it presents generally the same disadvantage--namely, its vertical footprint occupies a substantial desktop workspace area. With a desktop computer this problem may be substantially alleviated by configuring the computer to be vertically oriented in the now familiar "tower" configuration in which the desktop computer is basically tipped ninety degrees so that it is vertically elongated and rests on what used to be one of its relatively short vertical sides. In this vertical tower configuration the desktop computer may be positioned on the desktop, and occupy a substantially lesser horizontal portion of the work area, or placed on the floor to one side of or under the desk to conveniently eliminate the computer's desktop space requirement.
In order to achieve a similar kind of desktop work area space savings in a docking station application it would be desirable to provide a docking station system that could vertically orient a portable computer docked therein in a manner correspondingly reducing the vertical footprint of the overall docking station apparatus. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such a space-saving docking station system.